Port Royal holds public hearing on 2025 state CDBG needs assessment

Mayor opened a public hearing Tuesday evening to gather community input for the 2025 State of South Carolina Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program needs assessment.

A presenter described the program’s structure and deadlines, saying the state’s draft allocation for 2025 is approximately $19,809,810 and reminding residents that CDBG targets low‑to‑moderate income (LMI) households. The presenter said LMI thresholds used for eligibility in Beaufort County are about $64,600 for a two‑person household and $80,700 for a four‑person household.

The presenter outlined four CDBG funding categories: community infrastructure (water, sewer, drainage, roads), community enrichment (libraries, streetscapes, public facilities), local priorities (a smaller statewide pot), and “ready‑to‑go” emergency projects. Deadlines were described as a spring round for community infrastructure with application requests due in March and full applications in April, and a fall round for community enrichment with request windows in August and full applications in September. The presenter also noted that applications must meet a national objective and typically require a 10% local match.

Council members asked for clarification about the town’s existing grants and whether an open grant would count against the limit on simultaneous awards; staff explained that Fort Worth (as referenced in the presentation) currently has one open streetscape grant and could apply for additional rounds once a pending grant fully closes. The presenter reminded residents that the HOME consortium program is accepting housing‑need submissions for the annual action plan through April 30.

No public comments were offered at the hearing; the mayor closed the hearing and moved immediately into the council workshop.